New York
'Hellish' NY boarding school accused of forcing kids to dig graves, eat vomit
A former student of the now-defunct Family Foundation School in New York has alleged that troubled students were subjected to severe abuse, including strip searches, confinement in closets, and being forced to dig their own graves while at the institution.
The survivor also alleged that local authorities failed to act on reports of abuse due to the influence of the school’s wealthy owners.
According to a report by the New York Post, the allegations are detailed in a $10 million lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court by a former enrollee of the boarding school, which was located in the upstate village of Hancock, about an hour east of Binghamton.
The lawsuit claims students were “encased” in rolled-up rugs bound with duct tape, forced to eat their own vomit, made to dig graves and lie inside them, confined in closets without food, water, or bathroom access for days, and physically abused.
It further alleges that students were strip-searched upon arrival, forced into “sexualized group sessions” with teachers, and required to perform labor for the financial benefit of the Argiros family.
The alleged work included digging excavation trenches on the family estate, shoveling snow, cleaning waste from pig pens and animal enclosures, and performing construction work on the family’s private residence. Students were also reportedly required to cook meals and clean the household.
The plaintiff alleges that local authorities did not respond adequately to reports of abuse due to the influence of owners Michael and Cindy Argiros.
He attended the school between 2000 and 2003 and was placed under the authority of music teacher Paul Geer, who allegedly compelled him to join the school’s chorus program.
According to court filings, Geer later transported the student and other chorus members to Toronto, where he allegedly sexually abused him.
Geer was sentenced to 327 months (27 years and three months) in federal prison for coercing and enticing minors to travel across state lines for unlawful sexual activity, as well as transporting minors for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The plaintiff also alleges the school used fraudulent recruitment practices and convinced families to transfer legal guardianship of their children to the Argiros family.
The lawsuit further claims that students who attempted to escape were tracked and forcibly returned with the use of K-9 units. The complaint names the Argiros family, the Village of Hancock, local police, and others as defendants.
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